Children's Eye Exams

WHEN SHOULD CHILDREN START HAVING EYE EXAMS?

Many visual issues may develop during childhood, thus regular eye exams are especially important for developing eyes. Younger children should have their first eye exam at six months old, and if there are no signs of vision problems, annually thereafter. This is what is recommended by the Canadian Association and the Alberta Association of Optometry. School-age children (age 5 and older) should receive annual eye exams to monitor their vision development and ocular health in order to detect any vision issues that may interfere with their learning abilities. If you or your child feels like they are experiencing changes to their vision, we can see them multiple times throughout the year and still be covered by Alberta Health Care. Sometimes these issues can be simple visual problems; easily corrected with proper diagnosis and treatment. It is very helpful for Dr. Louie and Dr. Larson to have yearly history or baseline exams if new symptoms are noted to provide the best treatment strategy.

Children often cannot tell you that they are having vision issues, let alone understand their vision problems. At LL Eyecare, Dr. Larry Louie and Dr. Cory Larson can provide comprehensive pediatric eye exams and management of various pediatric eye problems such as strabismus (eye turn), retinopathy (retinal vascular issues), ptosis (droopy/asymmetric eyelids), nystagmus (abnormal eye movement), amblyopia (poor vision even with proper correction), epiphora (eye tearing), and double vision. Your child’s eye exam will include an assessment of acuity, binocular vision, external and internal eye structures for any issues. For younger children too young to read or even speak, we use children-friendly tools and games to help with your child’s vision assessment.